THE BATHING MACHINE

2016-10-17 15:05

Without any doubt, the bathing culture has changed immensely throughout time. For instance, in the 18th and 19th century it was perfectly normal to use a bathing machine in order to bathe in the sea in a morally correct way and without being seen.

Hence, the bathing machine was mainly used by women who were mostly not allowed to present themselves in swim wear at the beach.

Thus, women went into windowless cabins at the beach wearing their normal street wear to put on their swim suit or bikini.

Subsequently, most of the times the bathing machines were pulled into the sea by horses, which allowed women to bathe without being bothered since the bathing machine served as a privacy wall. The women were taken back to the beach afterwards.

The first bathing machine was built by the Englishman Benjamin Beale in 1750; although reports exist that partly prove that such a machine was already invented in 1736.